Freshman Orientation

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Freshman Arrival Day 2008

Freshman Orientation 
Program for Parents and Families

Saturday, August 23 - Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Freshman Orientation 

Tuesday, August 19 - Saturday, August 23, 2008

COOP (The Connecticut College Outdoor Orientation Program)

Thursday, August 21

Early Orientation Program: Genesis for underrepresented students, including students of color and first-generation college students. (The program is also open to any student with a strong commitment to advancing diversity and acting as an ally to underrepresented students)

Friday, August 22, 2008

Early Orientation Program: Odyssey for first-year international students.

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Classes begin. Convocation. 

Arrival Day, Saturday, August 23, 2008 is the day first-year students are expected to be on campus for the fall semester.

Residential houses are open at 9 a.m. Stop at the entrance of your assigned residence house, where you will be greeted, you can meet your Housefellow, and you'll get your room key.

Check in and room key pick-up and the distribution of campus IDs for all first-year students will take place in the 1962 Room in the Crozier Williams Student Center between 9-11 a.m.  Students with last name A-H will check in between 9-9:40 a.m.; I-Q between 9:40-10:20; and R-Z 10:20-11.  More information regarding this procedure will be sent to students over the summer.  Once you have received your room key, you may proceed to your residential house where you'll spend the better part of the morning moving in. You'll finally meet your roommate(s), choose a bed, and get acquainted with other members of the residential house.

The first mandatory event on arrival day is the President's Assembly, which begins at 1:00 p.m. in Palmer Auditorium. Here you will receive words of welcome from the president of the college, dean of the college community, dean of admission, dean of studies, president of student government and an alumni representative.

You'll receive a full schedule of the week's events following the President's Assembly at an introductory meeting with your Student Adviser in your residential house.

The Program for Parents and Families begins at 9:30 a.m. of a first-year student's arrival day. This program is designed to give parents and guardians the opportunity to meet informally with faculty, attend mini-classes and workshops, and see the facilities of the college. Our hope is that parents will gain a clearer sense of the life you will have on campus.

The program culminates in a reception from 4:15-5 p.m., after which parents depart.

Orientation, which runs from Saturday, Arrival Day through Wednesday, is planned by a student orientation committee supervised by student orientation coordinators and the dean of freshmen. Students, faculty, staff and members of the college administration all enthusiastically participate in the program.

During the first few days, you will meet with your pre-major adviser to plan your academic program and take any placement tests necessary for registration. You will also meet with your student adviser and other student leaders who will help you get settled and acquainted with the organizations, traditions and activities of Connecticut College.

In addition to mandatory workshops ranging from learning about each other and the college community, to roommate survival skills, to education about acquaintance rape to an examination of facts, attitudes and behaviors related to alcohol and chemical abuse, there will be many fun events like dances, an ice-cream social, and a drive-in movie, all of which are designed to help ease the transition to college for the first-year student.

Many of these special events are made possible by The Batch Blast. The Batch Blast was established in 1988 by an anonymous donor in honor of Esther Batchelder, a member of the Class of 1919, who was the founder of the Connecticut College Alumni Association and the first alumna to be a College trustee. After graduating from Connecticut College with a major in Chemistry and high honors, she went on to receive her Ph.D. and ultimately to work in the Department of Agriculture, receiving the USDA's Distinguished Service Medal. She was one of the first recipients of the Connecticut College Medal for her scientific contribution to her nation and her devoted service to the College.The donor hopes you will enjoy the festivities held during Freshman Orientation, named in her honor.

Last Modified: Friday, May 16, 2008 11:04